A borough chief won the recent local elections in Kaohsiung. She confirmed before running that the borough chief position could be a side job working alongside her main job. However, her main job did not allow her to hold a side job, so she decided not to assume the post.
There are many congratulatory messages next to Chung Tsui-min's residence. She won the borough chief election for Haiguang Borough in Kaohsiung's Fengshan District during the recent elections, but didn't show up to be sworn in on Dec. 25. Chung works as a nurse at a military hospital in Kaohsiung. Under Ministry of National Defense regulations, contracted personnel are not allowed to hold side jobs, so Chung chose to give up the position of borough chief.
Borough Chief-elect's Mother: “She gets more vacation days and a higher salary (at her original job), and she'll also get a pension. In contrast, you have to run again for borough chief after serving four years.”
Liao Kuo-chih, Former Haiguang Borough Chief: “One week after she was elected, her place of employment, which is a military unit, told her that there could be problems if she held side jobs.”
Chung confirmed that the position of borough chief can be worked as a side job, but wasn't aware that her place of employment did not allow this. She asked her husband, who previously served two terms as a borough chief, to register for the by-election so that she can keep serving her constituents. Some constituents were not convinced.
Resident: “She should have thought things through beforehand, before running as borough chief and city councilor. They, this husband and wife, should have planned better. Those who voted for her are extremely disappointed.”
Lin Ching-i, Chief Secretary, Kaohsiung City Civil Affairs Bureau: “There are regulations on holding a by-election if a borough chief resigns, leaves, or dies. There is no regulation on what to do if the borough chief fails to assume the post.”
The city's Civil Affairs Bureau says borough chief is a voluntary position under the law, and there are no regulations prohibiting borough chiefs from holding other jobs. This time, three elected borough chiefs in the city failed to assume the post. The other two died before they could take office. At present, Haiguang Borough's administrator is serving as the acting borough chief and the city has asked the Ministry of the Interior what to do. If a by-election is necessary, it will be held within three months and cost an estimated NT$350,000.
住家旁貼滿賀詞，高雄市鳳山區海光里長當選人鍾翠民，這次拿下800多票順利當選，但她25日卻未就職，因為她同時也是高雄一間軍醫院的護理師，受限於國防部任用條件，約聘人員不得兼職，選擇放棄里長職位。
里長當選人母親表示：「（原任職單位）假比較多，錢那邊也比較多，那邊將來又有退休金，你這個里長是不是這一次選上，4年後還要再重選。」
高市鳳山區海光里前里長廖國誌說：「（當選後）隔了1週的時候，那軍方的單位、服務的單位就跟她講，說可能有營外兼職、兼差的問題。」
當選人原想依法里長可兼職，但卻疏忽軍醫院的不可兼職的規定，為了繼續服務選民，將請曾當過里內兩屆里長的丈夫參加補選，但有些選民不買單，認為這樣的決定太過草率。
當地里民表示：「這個之前就應該想好，要選里長跟選市議員之前，應該他們夫妻倆就要計畫好，怎麼突然就，對這些投了這些票的人去看當然失望。」
高市民政局主秘林清益指出：「有規定到里長辭職、去職、死亡等情形要辦理補選，那就沒有講到未就職這部分。」
民政局表示，依法里長是義務職，沒有規定里長不能兼差，全市未就職的里長共3位，其中2位是就職前過世。目前海光里將先由里幹事代理里長職務，待內政部確認後，若需補選會在3個月內辦理，補選費用初估35萬元。
